Exam: October 17, 2011

This week: a discussion on the possible academic impact of athletic conference realignment. Plus, MU signs an agreement with a University in India to work with nanomedicine and nanotechnology.

Hosted by Ryan Famuliner.

The University of Missouri has signed a new research agreement with an Indian University to share resources in the fields of nanomedicine and nanotechnology. KBIA’s Amrita Jayakumar has the details.

The University of Missouri has been in the national spotlight in recent weeks as it officially looks into whether it should move out of the Big 12 athletic conference. There have been rumors MU is interested in the Southeast Conference or the Big 10; both among some of the strongest conferences in the county

MU Chancellor Brady Deaton and the UM Board of Curators have been spending hours considering a move. It’s a big deal financially for MU’s athletic program: television contracts with major conferences can mean tens of millions of dollars annually for each school’s athletic programs. But what does it mean for the school itself? Would conference-hopping have academic implications as well?

I sat down with Dr. Brad Curs to talk about this. He’s an associate professor in the Department of Education Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Missouri. He says, yes, academically this is something to keep an eye on. For instance, he says research has shown schools whose athletic teams get a lot of regional and national TV air time reap rewards in out-of-state enrollment.